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Seminar on Web Development for the Public Service in Cyprus

16 June 2005

More than a dozen officials from various Cyprus government ministries and departments participated in the seminar.

The Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Cyprus jointly hosted a seminar on 'Dynamic Web Development for the Public Service' in Nicosia, Cyprus, from 6 to 10 June 2005. Funded by the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Co-operation, this seminar was designed to guide participants through the stages of web project planning, design and development. More than a dozen information technology officials from various Cyprus government ministries and departments involved in the design and development of corporate websites, e-commerce, informational and promotional sites and intranets participated in the seminar.

Professor Victor Ayeni, Director of the Governance and Institutional Development Division of the Secretariat, said: "This programme was specifically developed and tailored for the public service sector. It enabled participants to understand how information and communications technology (ICT) could be used to deliver information electronically to citizens, businesses and visitors in the most effective way. Well-constructed websites and portals can transform the way that government delivers services to the public. ICT helps to improve citizen participation in government decision-making processes by providing alternate avenues for discussion and feedback."

The seminar focused on enhancing content through graphic design and developing content dynamically. Participants learned about the development of database sources and implementing secure access facilities.

Devindra Ramnarine, the Secretariat's Adviser on Public Sector Informatics, noted: "Participants gained knowledge and skills required to design, develop, implement and support effective websites. It helped them to understand key principles and theories of web application design and development. They will then be better able to develop user and business requirement specifications by applying a structured approach to website development projects. They also picked up helpful tips on designing dynamic, interactive websites, including efficient navigational structures for users by using web development tools."

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 239, 15 June 2005